Alice Calcasola was distinctly unimpressed by the chancellor's plan to raise road tax on the largest cars to £300 a year this year and £400 a year from next April.

The florist and mother of four lives with her husband in Hertfordshire and requires a large car for her business, and to "transport all the paraphernalia that goes with family life".

The couple drive an automatic four-wheel drive Mitsubishi Shogun, which has a 2.5 litre diesel engine, eight seats and plenty of room inside.

"The fact that there are six of us means we need a large car to simply get around. We chose this car because it has plenty of room to accommodate all my work stuff. I regularly fill up the back with flowers and all the bits and bobs I need," says Alice.

"My husband is a builder and he uses it to tow a trailer on and off building sites and he couldn't do it with a smaller car."

Alice says the government appears to be targeting all 4x4 drivers regardless of whether they need such a car or not.

"It feels like we are all being beaten by the same big stick. I don't know what they expect us to do instead - I guess we just have to pay up," she says.